Another reason, though, is politics: Western Europe and America have dominated the consensus on food over the last century, and the Eastern Europeans were given short shift in favour of saucy, French and Irish fare. Times, however, are changing, not least due to the Atkins diet that promotes consumption of meat.

So Czech cuisine, with meals that are derived from free-range animals, seems at once innocent and refreshingly traditional!

Although potatoes only arrived in Europe in the 17th century, they quickly became a staple of the Czech diet. Potato dumplings, boiled and fried potatoes, and potato soups are all standard fare. Mushrooms, which show up in every dish during mushroom season in early fall, are very popular, and so is sauerkraut, made from both white and red cabbage.

While the Czechs do not have a reputation for serving healthy food, those watching their calories can always opt for fish, with the trout from South Bohemia being relatively fresh and tasty. Fried cheeses are popular too, as is spiced cheese or hermelin served with green chili and various sauces.

In general, while Czech cuisine is not for the weak of heart, beer constitutes an important part of the meal, helping to wash down the fatty foods. Beware of eating in underground cellar restaurants, however, because you'll only realize how full your belly is and how drunk you are when you try to stagger up the stairs to the street above.

This Czech Restaurant Guide gives you an idea of what sort of meals you could expect to find, or may wish to try. And afterwards, burn off the calories (or work off that hang over) with a spot of shopping. Our Czech Shopping Guide will tell you the best places to go and things to buy.

Czech Republic Restaurant Guide

Czech Dishes:

Gulaš: This dish is so ubiquitous that it has become an adjective in the English language, a synonym for a soup, a melting pot, a mixing of different influences. The ‘real’ thing is a meat stew served in Czech with potato or bread dumplings. Hungarian goulash is spicier than the Prague variety, with hot rather than sweet paprika.

However, sliced onions and parsley also contribute to the distinctive flavor of Prague goulash. The fluffy, bread dumplings are used to mop up the sauce after you are done with the beef (health-conscious diners, Atkins dieters in particular, will dive into the beef and avoid the dumplings entirely).

Svickova: This is another Czech classic, beef sirloin slices braised in the oven and then served in a creamy sauce made from sour cream and flavored with cranberries, giving it a slight Thanksgiving touch. The beef is often tough and stringy at the cheaper pubs but tender and juicy in more expensive restaurants.

Fried Cheese: This is a real classic (and the most unhealthy of this trio); only the Czechs could have taken the Viennese tradition of breading their meat in schnitzels and applied it to cheese. It is often served with a side of Tartar sauce and french fries.

The creamy, bready cheese cutlet really is quite tasty after you have recovered from the initial shock of just consuming cheese (in case you don’t consider Czech food worthy of your palette, be sure to note the similarities between French and Czech cuisine: both are sauce-heavy and both turn cheese into an entire meal).

Other Czech specialties include:

Roast goose: Often quite tasty, roast goose is a dark, slightly bitter meat, served with dumplings and red cabbage, which is rich in Vitamin D.

Roast pork with dumplings: A Czech classic that works for almost any occasion. A thick slice of pork served with dumplings and sauerkraut.

Bramborák: An appetizer, this potato pancake can be quite a saviour on a cold winter night. Like the Russian blini, it can be served with beer or vodka.

Roast trout: The Czech Republic is a landlocked country and doesn’t have the cod, herring or flounder of the Baltics and Scandinavia. However, pond-bred trout are a Czech favorite, especially around Christmas time.

Served with mushrooms, another ubiquitous feature of Czech cuisine, braised potatoes, fresh lemon and some sprigs of parsley, they can be quite tasty and a nice change from the meat-heavy dishes.

Where to eat:

Needless to say that self-catering is the cheapest way to get around. Just go to supermarkets like Tesco or Prior, grab some bread rolls or croissants, sausages and some of the delicious cheese, not to forget fruits etc. You won't be disappointed and only pay a few crowns if you stick to Czech products.

Fast Food is omnipresent in all bigger cities, especially in and around train stations. Fast food includes the typical stuff such as Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Sandwiches etc. Quite cheap, but sure enough no gourmet stuff.

Occasionally you will come cross Bufet (also called Jídelna) - very cheap canteen-like eateries, but quality is usually poor. Only recommended to the hasty traveller.

The best way to eat out at night are Pivnice (also Hospoda, beer pubs) or Vinárna (wine pubs). Genuine atmosphere and plain but usually delicious food awaits the challenger. A beer or two or some wine will round up the meal. It's not a must to eat something - you might sit there for hours and hours and just enjoy a couple of drinks.

Outside Prague, these places are the cheapest and most interesting places to go out. The more locals, the better the atmosphere. Try to avoid places only foreigners gather!

Last but not least restaurants. Some of them are really called Restaurant. These places are usually more expensive, but not necessarily better in terms of quality. Most of the restaurants are called Restaurace. Alcoholic drinks are sold in all of them.

Prices:

Basically, there are two categories: Prague and Non-Prague. Prices in moderate restaurants in the centre of Prague are still slightly lower as in Germany or Austria, but much more expensive then in places outside the capital. In less popular, smaller cities it's not unusual to get a complete meal incl. starters etc. for as less as 100 bis 150 Kč (€ 3 - 5).

This would include meat. If you stick to crumbed cheese, which is quite filling as well, you won't pay more than around 60 Kč (€ 2). Outside the capital, half a litre of draught beer is between 10 and 14 Kč. In touristy places, esp. in Prague, you will often have to pay the double price.

In traditional pubs and other eateries, it's common to put together your own meal. Side dishes, sauces etc. must be ordered separately. Complete meals are usually only offered in touristy places along the Austrian and German border and in upmarket restaurants.

Beware!!! Especially in Prague, some black sheep have different menus in their restaurants - with higher prices in the English or German version. What to do: If you think it's overpriced, ask for the Czech menu. Which might be complicated. Even better - just walk out, don't let them rip you off. Of course, there are also high-class restaurants with appropriate prices. But this can be seen from outside already. Use common sense.